University students looking for accommodation in Prague
Eight Czech universities are listed among the top 1000 worldwide universities, according to the Shanghai ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities). A large number of students are thus expected to arrive in the Czech Republic and with Charles University being the first of these eight, Prague is one of the most popular destinations.
Here, there is always a high demand for flats, but in these critical months, with students arriving for the start of semesters, there are only 1960 estimated unoccupied apartments available, which is 54% less than at this time last year, leading to intense rivalry among tenants. The rising cost of rent may also make things more difficult for them. Nowadays, the price per square metre in Prague has reached a record high of CZK 304, which is significantly more than the costs in Brno (CZK 258) and Zlin (CZK 204). Viktor Mejzlík, the co-founder of the investment firm Garantovaný nájem, noted that due to the limited supply exacerbated by the refugee crisis, coupled with inflation and rising prices, young people cannot afford today’s housing prices. Even after achieving university studies, they have to explore flat share options or move in with partners.
Given these facts, nobody anticipated Prague to be named the second-most affordable city for students in Europe. Indeed, among the 70 respondents who participated in a recent Expats.cz poll, 51 per cent rated Prague “not so affordable” for students, 23 per cent said it is “average”, and 3 per cent believe Prague is “not at all affordable” and another 3 per cent believe the city is “very affordable”.
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